Drugstore.com Haul

Aside from talking about skincare more on NW I wanted to also feature+try to include a wider variety of drugstore/budget-friendly beauty items on the blog this year. I think drugstore brands have come a long way in the last ten or so years and many of them are bringing out products that perform just as well as their higher end counterparts. They just have a not so hefty price tag, and sometimes less luxurious packaging attached. As we all know, what's on the inside counts. That was certainly the case when it came to my little Drugstore.com hauling.

Now you may be wondering how I shopped with Drugstore.com, given I'm not based in America. I actually used YouShop, a service run by nzpost. It means you can order from American sites like Sephora or British sites like Boots and enter your YouShop address at checkout to get items we otherwise wouldn't be able to. They charge a fee of $12.50 for international postage and then $4.75 per 500 grams. In short, the more you order and the heavier it is, the more it'll cost. Note that if they can, YouShop will repackage your order for you to reduce the cost of postage. Once you've paid for your items they'll be shipped to New Zealand.

This YouShop order arrived within 5-6 working days which is pretty good and cost $22 to ship here. I recommend spending the minimum amount to qualify for free shipping on the British or American sites to avoid incurring shipping costs from them on top of the YouShop fees. It will save you money but it is entirely up to you.

Now on with the haul..

L'Oreal Colour Infallible Eyeshadows-These are two shades I've seen doing the rounds on a few beauty blogs, and they're something I have wanted to try for a long time. I picked up the shades Amber Rush and Bronzed Taupe. Their formula reminds me of Mac's Veluxe Pearl eyeshadows, shimmery but not overly glittery. They are also super easy to blend. If you're in America or have a friend going over on holiday then you should get these shades.

EOS Spring Lip Balms-This may seem a bit of a random purchase (it was). I wanted to bring my order total up so that I could get free shipping from Drugstore.com. This is the limited edition set EOS have bought out for Spring. It contains a Passionfruit lip balm and Strawberry Sorbet, the latter which has been passed on to Hannah. I really like the EOS lip balms. They're hydrating, deliciously scented and won't dry your lips out.

Revlon Skinlights Face Illuminator-This range can be found in New Zealand but they cost around 40 dollars, possibly more. The price hike on drugstore brands here versus what people pay in America or England is ridiculous, but that's a rant best saved for another day. I picked up the shade Pink Light which is less glittery than some of the other shades I had swatched. Pink Light has a much more subtler finish but you definitely don't want to go overboard with this. I like to use this as a highlighter but you can also wear it underneath your base for a more luminous finish.

Maybelline Baby Lips-Pink Punch is a shade I have wanted to try since I started getting into beauty vlog-watching. I have Ingrid to thank for that. Compared to their Kiwi counterparts, the original Baby Lips seem more pigmented. They also seem more hydrating as well. They're definitely not the best lip balms on the market but they're not awful given how affordable they are.

*Have you ordered using YouShop before? Where did you go online shopping?

**If you saw this post you'll know I'm in the process of starting up a YouTube channel. I'll be doing some filming this week but I need your help. What would you like to see? Tags? A Q&A? Hauls+Reviews? Let me know in the comments or over on Twitter. Obviously I don't want to film videos you don't want to watch so let me know!

-Disclaimer: I have not been sponsored by YouShop or Drugstore.com to write this post or feature their services. These are my honest opinions, and if I had been disappointed in either site or their service, I wouldn't feature them.

Oh no! I'm not entirely sure whether Zara takes international cards or not but Sephora do. All you need to do at checkout is change your billing address to your NZ address (so not the YouShop one) and it should process your order.

Thanks for the suggestions too Nina. I did a Top 5 lipsticks post last year but my choices have changed since then so I should update it.